Wire straightening apparatus is used to straighten wire, supplied in a rolled or coiled stock, before the wire is bent into a desired shape by the bending head of a bending machine
The removal of the twist enables the bending head to bend the wire in a predetermined plane, and thus allows the shape of the final bent wire product to be controlled.
One example of wire straightening apparatus is discussed in UK Patent No. 2185921 (Benton), and comprises a pair of counter rotating spinners, each having a respective set of rollers between which the wire is fed. The rollers deflect the wire, as it travels through the spinners, and this deflection straightens the wire.
However, wire fed through such apparatus can still have some residual twist, which can result in the creation of a deformed product. In addition, the amount of deflection undergone by the wire as it passes through the spinners can be such that the straightening apparatus causes wearing or work hardening of the wire.